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5 Best Apple Whiskeys to Sip by the Fire

sipping whiskey fire
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As the temperature drops, we reach for the soothing beverages of the season, from hot cocoa to spiced apple cider. Alcoholic cider gets a bad reputation for its sweetness and low proof, but you can still get a taste of the holidays in your booze. Pour something a little stronger and get cozy in front of a fire (or a looping video of one). We tracked down the best apple-flavored whiskeys that back up that saccharine palate with a gentle burn.

Evan Williams Apple Bourbon

Evan Williams Apple Bourbon

If you want more of an apple pie flavor, this is the best bang for your buck. Tart green apple mixes with caramel and spices for this enjoyable bourbon. It’s definitely on the sweeter side, so depending on your taste, you could forego any simple syrup in your holiday cocktails.

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Rattlesnake Rosie’s Apple Pie

Rattlesnake Rosie’s Apple Pie

For a more refined apple pie taste, try Rattlesnake Rosie’s moonshine. You get a strong, bourbon apple pie taste with hints of creaminess and some sneaky peach notes. If you’re sensitive to nutmeg, this might not be for you, but the spices add depth to this dessert whiskey.

Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Apple Whiskey

Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Apple Whiskey

Each sip of this whiskey manages to be sweet without being cloying, a significant feat considering it’s not particularly spice forward. Enjoy this new offering from Jack Daniel’s is best enjoyed on the rocks or in a cocktail. It plays best at a party, swaying non-whiskey drinkers while still impressing connoisseurs.

J. Seeds Apple Cider Whiskey

J. Seeds Apple Cider Whiskey

Most apple whiskey variations come out tasting like pie or apple juice. J. Seeds captures the essence of fall by producing an apple cider whiskey. It opens up as an apple cider and brings along some cinnamon applesauce for the ride, before finishing with the familiar burn of corn whiskey.

Stillhouse Apple Crisp Whiskey

Stillhouse Apple Crisp Whiskey

Stillhouse’s moonshine lineup often tastes like a cocktail right out of the tin, and its Apple Crisp Whiskey is no different. Stillhouse actually makes a complete apple crisp liqueur and then infuses that with the brand’s signature whiskey. The resulting whiskey goes down smooth with a little cinnamon and ginger kick to offset the apple flavor.

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This year, why not put the Guinness down and reach for an American Irish-style stout for St. Patrick’s Day?
Okay, that does sound a tad ridiculous — and honestly, you can’t go wrong with Guinness at all — but American brewers are doing a heck of a job with their Irish-style stouts. 
Irish dry stouts are an awesomely simple style, brewed with roasted barley to give off qualities of coffee and chocolate while drying out the finish. Hops add a nice bitterness to balance it all out and it's often nice and thin for excellent drinkability. Generally low in alcohol content, these beers are surprisingly low in calories, too, and can be accentuated with a thick creaminess from nitrogen.
Like other beautifully simplistic beers, these smooth stouts are so often overlooked because big flavor is generally hot in craft beer. Big, boozy barrel-aged stouts and, now, sugary sweet pastry stouts are all the rage, so it's been tough for the American Irish-style stouts to gain any traction. Plus, Guinness was once often the only stout people knew about when there were essentially two beer styles in America: lager and stout. 
Never fear, however, with St. Patrick’s Day around the corner, Americans make darn good Irish-style stouts. Here are some of the best. (If you're more of a whiskey person, check out some of the best Irish whiskey.)

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The annual celebration of St. Patrick’s Day comes with a few guarantees. Green t-shirts will be adorned with obnoxious sayings. Leprechauns will be blamed for causing mischief. And the dry Irish stout Guinness will be inescapable on tap, in bottles, and in cans from coast to coast.
Guinness is so synonymous with Ireland, it is practically the national beverage. However, this mindset overlooks the dozens of smaller craft breweries found throughout Ireland’s cities and townships, and dotted along its famously beautiful countryside. If you’re ever lucky enough to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland, enjoy your token Guinness in the airport and then head out to experience one of these independent breweries for an Irish beer you haven't tasted yet.

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